Labrador Retreiver

Originally, named "St John's Dogs" by English settlers in the 1800's, the origins of Labrador retrievers is still in debate; with British claiming the breed developed in England and Canadians claiming it originated in Canada. (History of the Lab). Labradors spent their days working alongside fishermen, retrieving fish who had escaped hooks and towing in lines, and then returned home to spend the evening with the fishermen's family. The breed was crossbred with setters, spaniels and other types of retrievers; acquiring exceptional hunting skills, muscular appearance, and swimming abilities (Labrador Savvy). Labradors are not only popular and athletic, but also excel in: tracking, retrieving, police work, narcotics detection, guide for the blind, service dog, search and rescue, sledding, carting, agility, and competitive obedience.

Recognized worldwide for their: astuteness, nobility, and unique traits, Labrador retriever surpass all species in many characteristics; thus considered the highest form of life on earth. The Labrador retriever is a strongly built, medium-sized, short-coupled, athletic, well-balanced conformation that enables it to function as a retrieving dog; the substance and soundness to hunt waterfowl or upland game for long hours under coarse conditions; the qualities of a natural show winner; and the temperament to be around different species; especially humans. Physical features and mental characteristics specific to Labradors allow them to perform efficiently as retriever of game with a stable temperament suitable for a variety of pursuits beyond the hunting environment. Labrador retrievers thrive in all environments; especially water, because of their "webbed" paws that enable them to swim effectively across rivers, lakes, and even the ocean. Above all, the most distinguishing characteristics Labrador retrievers have are short, dense, weather resistant coat; an "otter" like tail; a clean-cut head with broad back skull and moderate stop; powerful jaws; and its "kind," friendly eyes, expressing character, intelligence and good temperament.

In addition to all the amazing qualities Labradors have; the most important aspect that has preserved Labradors in existence is their reproductive capability. Female Labradors come into heat every six months; that heat period is when females are able to come in contact with male Labradors and reproduce. With a gestation period of about sixty-three days, Labradors have the ability to reproduce a considerable amount of dogs in their life span; typically ranging from 10-12 years (Breeding Labrador Retrievers). In a typical gestation, a female Labrador can deliver approximately 3-4 puppies, contrasting with Humans, typically their gestation period normally lasts 9 months while delivering on average one offspring. Most importantly, being able to reproduce at a faster rate and at a larger quantity; gives Labradors an advantage over competing species, not only can Labradors deliver large amounts of offspring, but the population of Labradors can be easily replenished due to an accelerated gestation and heat cycle that give Labradors an advantage over other species; one more reason as to why Labradors are the highest form of life on earth.

Naturally, Labradors are born with a gene base that contains the characteristics of an athletic creature. Those genes were not original to the Labrador retriever; they have evolved from the crossbreeding that has taken place since the early 1800's. Charles Darwin an English minister, that through natural curiosity and research developed the powerful theory of evolution, proposed that variations in nature were caused by three major forces " natural selection, direct action of the environment, and the effects of use or disuse of a variation" (Darwin). As for Labradors, their qualities and traits all derive from the cross-breeding with others. Those breeds were selected for their special traits and the end result was the Labrador retriever, a dog breed designed to excel in every aspect, while preserving a gentle temper, known for their tracking skills and hunting abilities. Variations are evident, each different breed of Labradors has their own characteristic; most notoriously in their coat color: yellow, black, and chocolate. Lastly, the environment in which they originated has granted Labradors with a resistance to extremely cold temperatures; as mentioned earlier, Labradors thrive in all environments.

Another important quality Labradors have aside from their physical qualities is their loyalty. Humans tend to rely on Labrador retrievers to do some amazing tasks that humans are not able to perform; even with the newest technology and the highest qualified